We went to Sydney last weekend to visit a friend of mine, Emma, and her husband, Damien. It was a brief visit. We were only in town for 36 hours or so and so we thought we should take in a few of the must-see sights including the Opera House. Our friends had a cooking class for 4 hours and so we were left to our own devices to walk through the city. We wandered down through the Botanic Gardens to the harbour and walked out along the peninsula of the park that lies opposite the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House in front of it. Although overcast, it was a beautifully warm day and we lay about on the grass taking in the view. Because of some typical Melbourne-Sydney rivalry we had only ever heard negative things about Sydney from our Melbournian neighbours but the reports were very misleading for Sydney is far from the bland corporate ghost town that had been described.
Having oh-so-casually worked an apparently hypothetical "what would you say if I asked you to marry me?" question into a conversation 20 minutes earlier and received an encouraging reply, Cassidy took the plunge and asked me if I would marry her. Of course I didn't have to think twice.
Cass was appalled to learn that her unorthodox proposal was not as iconoclastic as she'd thought when she learned that there was a sexist loophole in proposal etiquette "allowing" a woman to propose to a man during a leap year. She has gone to great lengths to research this tradition and is at pains to point out that this custom is only applicable on the leap year day, i.e. February 29.
Damien took a photograph of us shortly after in front of the Opera House, so I guess this is officially our engagement picture.
We're thrilled to make official what we've both known for a long time, that we want to spend the rest of our lives together.
FAQ
But aren't you guys married already?
No, that's just Dave being an idiot. However we did toy with this idea over a year ago so you could be excused for experiencing a slight sensation of deja vu.
Did Cassidy get down on one knee to propose?
No she did not. We were standing on some precarious rocks at the water's edge so to have knelt down would have been an unnecessary extension of the risk she was already taking. She did stand on a rock slightly lower than mine though.
When are you getting married?
We haven't thought that far ahead yet. We're still just excited to be engaged.
Was a ring given?
Neither party received a ring but that will be remedied later.
Is Cassidy merely getting engaged because she is in silent competition with her brother?
No she is not. We are very much in love and she is just happy that Brendan is happy.
12 comments:
Mazel tov! As Cassidy's mother, I can attest that she would never ever do anything just because it was the traditional thing to do. So the leap year thing definitely had nothing to do with this.
Steven and I are delighted that you guys have made it official. You truly seem destined for each other.
And what a great engagement photo!
wow! FAQs on your enagement annoucncement - you must be innundated with requests for specifics! well whatever about the finer details it's great news and confirms what we knew from the first time we met cassidy - that you make each other really, truly happy.
Felicitări!
This news, while not absolutely and utterly a surprise, has made me as happy as anything has in a long, long time (tied for first with roughly comparable news from C1, but way ahead of everything else and, if you think about it, I've been on a roll for a while now and the competition for top-tier happy moments is pretty keen.)
Each of you has chosen brilliantly and well and I am thrilled that you have found in each other such extraordinary life partners.
Leslie, welcome aboard. And Cassidy, well done.
Love to you both.
Hey
Delighted to hear the news of your engagement, to read about it and to see the official picture. Will we also see the unofficial picture taken from behind, or is that just some passing opportunist? Who asked doesn’t matter, as long as you are both in agreement about it, but well done Cassidy! I am just a little worried that this is some journalistic stunt to get a reaction from the distant readers, who have shown that they are willing to let our diarist be pushed over a cliff, be half drowned under a waterfall and endure other cruel and extreme punishments without so much as lifting a mouse to help her, but otherwise I can’t think of any objection. Far be it from me to twist your arm about ‘when’, but I shouldn’t let it run over a year or people might start to think that you didn’t really mean it. Love and best wishes and sincere congratulations from Richard
I am so glad that you have chosen each other so confidently. May you have a long, happy and interesting marriage ahead of you. My blessings on both of you.
All my love, Anne-Marie
Huzzah and Congratulations! While not at all asking about schedules, I'll take the opportunity to plug that an advance warning about the appropriate continent would be appreciated for those of us in neither Australia nor Europe! *jealous grin* Much love to you both.
Congratulations to you both. Fran and I were so happy to hear the good news.
Margo and Fran
The instant spike in signals traffic shows not only that you need no longer fear that nobody reads your blog but that you can be confident that you are surrounded by a cloud of well-wishers.
Repeated felicitations, with every confidence in the years of happiness to which this will lead.
WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL NEWS. WE CANT LET YOU OUT OF OUR SIGHT FOR A YEAR AND LOOK WHAT YOU END UP DOING. TOO MUCH SUN I SAY. I OFTEN WONDER WHEN THE EARLY CONVICTS WERE SENT TO AUSTRALIA MANY MOONS AGO, DID THE POWERS THAT BE REALISE WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE IT WAS. GIVE OR TAKE THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE. I WOULD NOT MIND DOING A SPELL OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN SUCH A PLACE. THE PICTURES THAT YOU ARE SENDING OVER TO US IN NO SMALL WAY HELP TO BLOT OUT ALL THAT IS BAD ABOUT LIVING IN IRELAND. WE ARE STILL WAITING ON BERTIE AHERN TO APOLOGISE ABOUT TELLING THE ENGLISH TO LEAVE AND WE ARE EXPECTING ANY DAY NOW THAT HE WILL CALL ON THE DEAD ANCESTORS OF RICHARD THE LIONHEARTED TO RETURN AND THAT ALL IS FORGIVEN, MUCH LIKE WHAT YOUR NEWLY ELECTED PRIME MINISTER DID. DOES THIS MEAN THAT YOU WILL END YOUR DAYS IN THE LAND DOWN UNDER. WE SO MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU BOTH IN JUNE. BOTH OF YOU NEVER LOOKED BETTER SO KEEP EATING ALL YOUR FRUIT AND VEG AND IN BETWEEN EATING A HEALTHY BREAKFAST AND A HIGH PROTEIN LUNCH DO SPARE A THOUGHT FOR YOUR TWO BEAUTIFUL, SMART AND SINGLE SISTERS, LESLIE AND INVITE THEM OUT AND WHO KNOWS WHAT AWAITS THEM, WHAT CROCODILE DUNDEE TYPE MEN LIE WAITING IN THE CORAL OCEAN OR DEEP IN THE AUSTRALIAN BUSH. GOOD DAY TO BOTH OF YOU. LOADS AND LOADS OF LOVE AND GOOD WISHES FROM THE ONE WHO DID NOT GET AWAY. NO. I AM NOT SUFFERING FROM SUN STROKE.
Just read the news! Only opened my g-mail this evening and there was a message from Anne Marie alerting me to news on your blog. Congratulations! I havn't got the photo downloaded yet. No Broadband up here in the hills of Mayo. You both sound blissfully happy and are a nice reminder of how we all felt too many moons ago! May you both have a long and happy life together wherever you may find yourselves. Certainly you are both making the most of your experience down under. I envy you the white water rafting but not the other scary stuff. I no longer have the head for all that type of excitement. If I could get to the top of my local Nephin Beg mts or Croagh Patrick I'd be thrilled. Miguel and I will be with Richard and Anne Marie on 13th. March on our way home from La Gomera, Canary Isle, when no doubt we will get the next update.
Very best wishes Leslie and Cassidy from all the de Eyto's,
Eleanor
Eleanor de Eyto here.
This is my third attempt to send you my warmest congratulations. A bit late but I only opened my gmail this evening to find Anne Marie's mail of 19th alerting me to your news.
Well done Cassidy. Sometimes these men need a gently push. Mine was more of a shove - I found us a house -'Mortgage available to suitable applicant'. Miguel didn't think he was suitable as he was Spanish (Ireland of the 70's). I said I'd ask and he was. Didn't he have 1/3 of the price of the house as a deposit £2,000 for a house costing £6,000. Those were the days! And so we decided to get married. Miguel did however do the proper thing for the times that were in it and ask my father formally for 'my hand' in marriage.Leslie, have you done same? My Dad said we didn't need his permission as no doubt we'd go ahead anyway....
But seriously, Miguel and I send you both our best wishes for a long and happy life together. I havn't got the photo yet but no doubt you are both all smiles. No Broadband here in the hills of Mayo. You are obviously blissfully happy and enjoying all your exciting experiences down under.
From all the de Eyto's Congrats. again,
Eleanor or Ultreya - whatever name comes up when I press publish.
Well done, guys. I'm even delighted to have picked up the phone in the parental flat in Dublin when Cass called, so I was one of the first to hear. w00t! (But apparently one of the last to comment on the blog. Oops!)
Since you're making long-term plans now, does this make it less likely that you will decide in future to fling yourselves off of ledges above roaring rivers? That would seem a sensible precaution ...
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